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Director of Projects for the First Lady

Director of Projects for the First Lady, White House
Responsibility
Management Scope

As of 2012, the director of projects for the first lady has overseen an office of three to six staff, including the deputy director of projects, a staff assistant, up to two deputy associate directors and government agency detailees (as needed).4 The director currently has a “special assistant” commission

Primary Responsibilities

• Develops and directs strategy for first lady’s long-term domestic and international policy initiatives in support of the president
• Serves as first lady’s representative on the president’s domestic policy council
• Oversees projects’ staff work
• Acts as a surrogate for the first lady at events and in the media
• Works with the office of the first lady to draft, process and schedule proposals for prospective events
• Works with the office of the first lady to write and edit briefing papers for events and memos about special projects
• Responds to policy-related correspondence specific to the first lady’s initiatives
• Provides input to staffing memos and honorary chair business
• Drafts policy correspondence template language and develops templates for scheduling proposals, briefing papers and memos
• Develops talking points with the communications and speechwriting staff
• Coordinates on projects with the West Wing, Cabinet offices and program partners, as needed
• Directs research on all event components, including sites and participants
• Develops standard operating procedures for events (roundtables, conferences, site visits, etc.)5

Strategic Goals and Priorities
[Depends on the policy priorities of the administration.]
Requirements

• Comprehensive understanding of the first lady’s interests and how they support the president’s policies and initiatives6

Competencies

• Ability to work with partners in furthering the first lady’s initiatives
• Managerial skills and ability to coordinate staff, events and messaging to realize the first lady’s initiatives
• Strong communication skills necessary to present the first lady’s initiatives to those outside the office including, but not limited to, partners and alliance groups, the media and the administration’s domestic policy council7

Past Appointments
  • Kristin Jones (2010 to 2017) – Research Associate, White House; Intern, White House; corps member and high school English teacher, Teach for America8
  • Jocelyn Frye (2009 to 2010) – Activist, children’s health programs; Member, White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity9
  • Sonya Medina (2005 to 2006, 2008 to 2009) – Deputy Director of Projects and Policy for the First Lady, White House; Co-Chairman, Harvard Hispanic Policy Executive Board at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University10
AGENCY

Executive Office of the President

Mission: The Office of the First Lady is composed of the staff accountable to the first lady of the United States. The Office is a part of the White House Office in the Executive Office of the President.

COMPENSATION

$71,022 in 20162

REPORTS TO

First Lady’s Chief of Staff3

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Footnote
  1. Romney Readiness Project
  2. https://www.whitehouse.gov/21stcenturygov/tools/salaries
  3. Romney Readiness Project
  4. Romney Readiness Project
  5. Romney Readiness Project
  6. Romney Readiness Project
  7. Romney PD
  8. http://www.leadershipdirectories.com/profiles/Kristin-Jones-Special-Assistant-to-the-President-and-Dir-of-.htm; https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-jones-359554113
  9. Romney Readiness Project
  10. Romney Readiness Project
This position description was created with the help of Martha Kumar from the White House Transition Project, which provides information to a new White House staff about their individual offices thereby streamlining the process of transition from one administration to the next.
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